Game-board



(No Model.)

0. W. FISHEL. GAME BOARD;

No. 512,104. Patented Jan; 2, 1894.

WITNESSES. INVENTOI? 'N rrn TATES CHARLES WV. FISHEL, OF ASPEN, COLORADO.

GAME-BOARD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 512,104, dated January 2, 1894.

Application filed February 2, 1893. Serial No. 460,657. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES W. FIsHEL, of Aspen, in the county of Pitkin and State of Colorado, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Game-Boards, of which the following is a full, clear,and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in devices of a type having a base-board, pockets in the base-board, a set of balls, and means to propel the balls and cause them to roll into the pockets; the objects being to provide a device of the character indicated, which will be of a simple, cheap construction, and that will embody novel. features, that conduce to the efficiency of the device as a source of amusement.

To these ends my invention consists in the peculiar construction and combination of parts, as is hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a top view of the improved game board. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view, on the line 22 in Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a plan view partly in section, of de-. tails of construction,on the line 33 in Fig. 2.

The base-board A, that is part of the device, is made of wood or other suitable material, has parallel top and bottom faces, and parallel side edges, and the end wall toward which the balls at are to be played, is formed at right angles to the side edges of the baseboard and around these three edges of the board a cushion wall I), is erected of a suitable height. Similar pockets 0, are formed in the cushions b, and cupped depressions are produced in the base-board Within the pockets forming their bottoms.

Any desired number of pockets maybe arranged at spaced intervals along the sides and end of the base-board, to suit its dimensions, which may be varied as may be .desired; a pocket being by preference located at each corner of said board at the junctions of the side cushions with the end cushion, as shown in Fig. 1.

Varying values are given tothe different pockets as indicated by numerals in Fig. 1, those pockets at the sides and near the head of the base-board being of the highest value, as these are most difficult to drive aball into.

At the head of the base-board A, a semicircular guard wall 6 is secured which is equivalent in height with the cushions 12, except at and near the transverse center of the board, Where the guard wall is cut away, so as to permit the free swinging movement of the ball propelling device, which will presently be described.

The base-board A, is supported by legs h, that are threaded on the body and engage with nuts h, embedded in the lower surface of the base-board at four points near its corners, so that these supports may be independentlyadj usted for height, the upper ends of the legs having slotted heads to facilitate their rotation in the nuts by the application vice, which consists of a post m, which is seated at its lower end in a socket hole formed in the platform and a portion of the base-board, a diametrically reduced lower end portion of the post passing through an axial downward extension of the socket holeof a smaller diameter, the length of this smaller portion of the post being so proportioned to the entire thickness of the baseboard, that a circular plate m, which is secured on the lower end of said post within a countersunk recess m will be adapted to retain the post secured to the board and held from too free a rotation. The post m, is longitudinally slotted through its axis from the top downwardly, to a point near the top of the platform 2', the width of said slot being preferably reduced toward the front side of the post, to adapt it to receive another part of the device, and serve as an abutment therefor in use, as will be further explained.

A trunnion block a, is provided which is of a suitable diameter for its use, and at a proper point the trunnious 'n', are oppositely projected from the ends of said block. The

block n, is of such a length as will permit it to fit neatly between the parallel walls of the widest portion of the slot in the post on, its trunnions 4t engaging aligning perforations in the walls of the post at each side of the center slot therein. The trunnion block n, is transversely perforated at a central point between its ends and through its axis, which is intersected at right angles by the cylindrical orifice mentioned.

A cylindrical barrel 0, of proper dimensions is furnished, and is adapted to fit tightly in the transverse hole formed for its reception in the trunnion block, said barrel having a radial flange 0', on its rear end, which limits the insertion of the piece 0, in the trunnion block, the end which is inserted passing through the block and projecting toward the end wall 1).

Within the barrel 0, a pusher rod 19, is loosely fitted, which is enlarged for a portion of its length at the end which projects over the front end wall of the base-board, of a suitable shape to afford a grip-piece 19 whereby the pusher rod may be manipulated, there being by preference a gum washer p slid upon the smaller part of the rod, and resting against the shoulder which is the forward terminal of said smaller portion of the pusher rod, so as to provide an elastic cushion between the grippiece or handle 1) and the slotted body of the post an, through which the rod reciprocates when manipulated to propel a ball.

There are two gum band springs r, supplied for the device, which respectively are made to engage their doubled end portions with the hooks 'r or equivalent projections on the post 'm, and similar projections from opposite points on the handle portion 19, of the pusher rod.

Above the trunnion block 11., the parallel walls of the post m, are perforated in alignment, for the reception of a clamping bolt 8, which is furnished with a thumb piece at one end, and is threaded at the other end for a threaded engagement with a nut s, which is secured on the post at a proper point to permit the bolt to be screwed into it, and thus spring the post walls together slightly when it is desired to produce increased friction between the ends of the trunnion block at and the post walls, so as to reliably hold the barrel 0 horizontal, or at any desired angle of deviation from a level plane represented by the upper surface of the base-board A.

Any desired number of spheres or balls a, may be provided for use on the game board, these being preferably made of an equal size, and such a relative diameter as will allow them to easily drop into one of the pockets when rolled on the board so as to effect such a result.

The board A, is located on any level surface or it may be leveled by adjusting its legs h, and when the game board is to be used for amusement, the player arranges balls upon the spots 11., shown in Fig. 1, and another ball is placed opposite the smaller end of the pusher rod 19, which latter is preferably tipped with gum, as shown at 19 the handle or grip piece 19 being first drawn back so to stretch the band springs r. The manipulator aims the barrel 0 and its contained pusher rod, so as to range it with any of the spotted balls and when the cue ball, as the one to be driven may be termed, is properly placed, a release of the grip-piece or handle 19, will cause the ball to be struck by the pusher rod 19, and driven forcibly toward the spotted balls, which in turn may strike each other, and some of them roll into the pockets 0, which is the object sought. The player if successful in pocketing one or more balls at the first play, may be allowed to continue, taking one of the pocketed balls for a cue ball, and if he is dexterous, may make a run or succession of strokes that will each hole one or more balls; the pockets filled by the balls being noted as to..value, and the aggregate of such values credited to the score of the player.

Other methods for playingan am using game with the improved game board may be adopted if preferred, these being based on the pocketing of balls as has been explained, the swiveling and rocking movement of the ball propelling device being ofservice to range the cue ball and pusher rod so as to drive said ball toward any point on the baseboard;and if a ball should run onto the platform iat the head of the board, it will roll down therefrom, as the surface of the elevated portion is sloped toward the greatest topsurface of the base board A, to cause such a retrograde movement of the balls that may be driven toward the head of the game board.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent- The combination with a baseboard, cushion walls at the sides and one end of the board, pockets in the cushions and cuppedin the base-board, a semi-circular headwall for the board, joining the ends of the cushions, and a sloped platform on said board near the head wall, of a swiveling and rocking ballpropelling device, co mprisinga rotatable post in a socket hole of the board near its head wall, a clamping washer on the lower end of the post, two spaced and parallel walls on the post above the platform, a trunnion bloc-k between the post Walls and journaled therein, an adjustable transverse clamping screw bolt in the post walls above the trunnion block, a barrel projected through said block parallel with its ends and central thereof, a pusher rod in the barrel, having a handle piece, a washer cushion thereon, a gum tip on the pusher rod, and contractile band springs for the pusher rod, substantially as described.

CHARLES W. FISHTE L WVitnesses:

R. R. BOWLES, F. H. STOCKMAN.

IIO 

